TRIP PLAN DIRECTORY

THINGS TO DO IN BALLARD

ABOUT BALLARD

Things to do in Ballard (Seattle, WA)

Ballard's vibrant and eclectic mix of unique boutique shops, restaurants, bars and music venues offers enjoyment for everyone. Visiting Olson's Scandinavian Foods on Ballard will precipitate the feeling that there is still a Scandinavian presence in the neighborhood. The deli offers gifts and foods from the Swedish, Danish and Finish communities. Get there early in the morning though as the pastries sell quickly! There are plenty of opportunities to shop till you drop in the charming neighborhood, you'll find unique gifts, trendy clothes, furniture and a plethora of interesting items that you might not find anywhere else.

Every Sunday, year round, sunshine or rain, Ballard's street market is open and has come to be known as one of the best markets in the area. You can find a vast selection of fresh picked fruit and vegetables from local farmers, wild jams, spices, hand-made pastas, artisan cheeses, seafood, smoked salmon, hormone-free meats, poultry, eggs, freshly baked breads, desserts, flowers, nursery plants, and local craftsman's art works. Free parking is available on the side streets but plan on walking a bit in the summer months when it can get crowded.

For the outdoor enthusiast there are numerous opportunities for bicycling, running, roller-blading and walking along the Burke-Gilman Trail which follows the waterfront in Ballard. The trail extends itself for some 18 miles from Shilshole Bay to the City of Bothell where it crosses with the Sammamish River.

Of course a must-see for the visitor to Ballard is the Chittenden Locks completed in 1916. The locks link Puget Sound with Salmon Bay, Lake Union and Lake Washington. In summer when the salmon are on the way to spawn you can watch them move up the ladders that were created to help them pass through the locks. The salmon usually run late August through September and it is quite a treat for all ages to watch them make their way from the salt water into the fresh water lakes to spawn. Additionally you can watch large ships, tugboats, luxury yachts and smaller fishing boats pass through the locks, watching the water levels rise and fall to accommodate the switch from fresh water to salt water and vice-versa.

There are many notable restaurants in the Ballard area, too many to name and some of them including Ray's Boathouse at Shilshole are landmarks. The waterfront at Shilshole is an urban community west of Ballard within the city limits of Seattle. It features a large modern marina, restaurants, and the superb sandy beaches of Golden Gardens Park.

Long a fishing community, Ballard still retains strong ties to the water, and this is still apparent when you visit Fishermen's Terminal. Here you will find rows and rows of commercial fishing vessels. Many depending on the time of year you are visiting either heading out or returning from the cold stormy Alaskan waters. Here you can see some of the vessels featured in the T.V.'s Most Deadliest Catch.